Apparatus for packaging



June 25, 1946- T. B. BUCHANAN ETAL 2,402,369

APPARATUS FOR PACKAGING 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 1, 1943 Jim; Q'ZQLFLK arromz 25, 1946. T. B. BUCHANAN ET AL APPARATUS FOR PACKAGING Filed April 1, 1943 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 III] INVENTORS ATTOZZ/VECY:

June 25, 1946.

T. B. BUCHANAN ET AL APPARATUS FOR PACKAGING Filed April 1, 1943 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented June25, 1946 APPARATUS FOR PACKAGING Thomas B.-Buchanan, Yonkers, N. Y., and Clifford B. Pav

Montague,

Mich assignors to Reynolds Metals Corporation, Richmond, Va., a corporation of Delaware Application April 1, 1943, Serial No. 481,458 4 Claims. (01. 226-18) second member, and the closed end of the envelope brought inwardly into right-angular relation to the envelope side walls, except at the corner of the envelope which are brought into outwardly extending triangular folds adapted for inward movement to lie flat against the expanded bottom of the envelope. This object and the additional objects of the invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. in which- Figure 1 is a view in elevation, showing the side of the forming apparatus andends of certain table elements related thereto, part of the view being in section.

Figure 1A is an isometric view of a formed envelope bag expanded by means of the apparatus.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary view, partly in section, showing the expander after an operative movement thereof.

Figure 3 is a plan view of the apparatus.

Figure 4 is a view in front elevation showing top folding elements for the envelope.

Such a bag is slipped over Figure 5 is a perspective view of the envelope in flat form, looking toward the open end thereof.

Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmentary view showing the former in closed position with the bag thereon.

Figure '7 is a, similar view showing the former elements spread apart and the bag expanded.

Figure 8 is a. schematic viewv in section showing the top of the bag after downward movement of the top folding plate member of Figure 4.

Figure 9 is a view in vertical section through the envelope and box enclosure thereof with the top folded and ready for hot plate or other sealing.

Referring to the drawings, we have shown at I a receiving table for the boxes or other articles to be packaged. In register with an end wall of the table and preferably secured thereto is a frame 3 carrying at its top a plate or other covering 4, the latter preferably being inclined downwardly from its end attached to table I to the end remote therefrom.

Each side face of frame 3 carries two upwardly extending bracket arms 5 and between these arms is secured the upper member 6 of the bag expander. at its end nearest the table I and itsside walls gradually converge as to width. A second expander member I is trough-like in form, its side wall extending upwardly, whereas the side walls of member 6 extend downwardly. It is pivoted at 1.1:, as by a hinge arrangement, to table I.

In order to provide a readily adjustable and balancing separation between the two members of the expander, I pivot on a rod 8 a lever B, which at its upper end carries a contact finger l0. Slidingly mounted on lever 9 is a weight it which in practice will be formed with a threaded aperture to receive a set screw l2. Rod I! is carried by frame 3 and finger l 0 bears against the underface of expander member 1. By adjusting the position of the weight the gravitational downward movement of member I on its pivot 1:: will be overcome and member I brought upward at its front end to a desired position relative to member 6. The adjustment may be such that memher 1 will be so balanced that very slight pressure thereon will cause it to descend.

The envelope bags to be acted upon are generally the type illustrated in Figure 5 at l3. With the expander member closed as shown in Figure 1 the open end of the bag receives the forward portions of the members 6 and I and the bag is pushed up to the position illustrated in Figure 6. In such movement the bag passes under a weight in the form of a roller it carried by an arm l5 pivoted upon a bracket l6 which may be carried by a top connector plate I! for the arms 5.

The bag being upon the expander elements the handle I811: of a lever I8 secured to expander member I may be grasped by the operator and the lever moved downward to carry expander member I to the position of Figure-7, whereupon the bag will be expanded to the form shown in Figure 1A. At this point the articles or a package containing the same, carried by table I, may be The downwardly moved filled envelope or bag The said member 8 is a trough open will meet a stop member 28 on a receiving table 2| and the envelope may be then sealed and the seal then folded. Usually, however, the downwardly moving filled envelope will be discharged from cover 4 into a box 22.

Box 22 is prepared by moving outwardly its closure flaps 22a: and by the insertion of the lowermost closure fiap into a slot at data: in the cover 4 of frame 3, these elements providing a slide for the filled envelope as above explained.

Preliminary to the said automatic insertion of the filled envelope into the box, the latter may receive a folded reinforcing strip of cardboard 23 which will generally be U-shaped so as to reinforce the bottom and the seamed walls of the envelope. This insertion of the filled envelope will automatically bring its bottom wings I32: up against the seamed sides of the envelope. If necessary, the filled envelope may be guided by hand into the box and flaps I31: will be preliminarily folded back and held by hand, but by proper guiding and gravitational arrangement of the slide provided by members 3, 6 and 6.1:, gravitational insertion of the filled envelope within the box will be sufilcient.

When the box is filled it will be moved to vertical position on table 2| and shifted along the table to a top folding device best shown in Figure 4, this device consisting of a pivoted folding plate 24, the pivot member being a rod 25 carried by a bracket frame shown at 26 supported by table 2! or the table standards which in the embodiment shown include the legs or risers 24a: and the cross frame members zlaxr. The plate may be weighted, as at 24:2, Figure l to hold it in the position of that figure. The plate is engaged by an actuating rod 21 at the rear of its pivot, the rod being carried by a treadle lever 28 pivoted at 29 and having a foot pressure extension whereby pressure upon the treadle lever will cause the plate, as to its forward portion, to move downwardly. Prior to such action the underlying one of the box flaps 22 will be swung in slightly toward the center of the box and downward movement of the plate will have the action shown in Figure 8. The opposite one of box flaps 22:: may then be brought down so that the top of the envelope will have opposite faces thereof brought together ready for sealing, and the upwardly projecting contacting walls of the envelope may be fed between spaced guides 30 and to a hot plate sealing device generally indicated at 3!, the latter forming no. part of the present invention. The sealed end may then be folded fiat and the box flaps closed and sealed as in usual practice.

By means of the invention envelope-type bags may be formed up rapidly and with precision, articles, as within a container such as a carton, may be rapidly inserted into the open bag, and gravitational force employed for automatically inserting filled envelope bags into a shipping box held open by special means at the end of the slide device which enables the use of the gravitational force.

By means of the invention, the upper forming member is held in fixed position, the lower forming member only being movable for expansion of the envelope bag. This expanding movement, therefore, is downwardly and in the direction of the gravitational force exerted by the weight of the package or other article or articles inserted. This is an important feature of the invention, because in types of expanders heretofore used, the forming elements acted upon the bag in opposite directions and fracture of bags was common, this defect being overcome by means of our constructions.

It will be understood that various rearrangements and modifications of the structural elements may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having described our invention, what we claim imd desire to secure by Letters Patent is as folows:

1. In apparatus for packaging, an inclined slideway support, means carried above said slideway for receiving and expanding an envelopetype bag, said last named means comprising an upper member held in fixed position upon said support and a pivotally mounted lower member, both members being open at their ends, lever means for moving the lower member downwardly away from the upper member and means for automatically moving the lower member upwardly toward the upper member.

2. In apparatus for packaging, an inclined slideway support, means carried above said slideway for receiving and expanding an envelope type bag, said last named means comprising an upper member held in fixed position upon said support and a pivotally mounted lower member, the latter member being trough-shaped with upwardly extending sides, means for holding the lower member upwardly in close relation to the upper member, lever means for moving the lower member away from the'fixed upper member fOr expanding a has held by said members, and means for automatically moving the lower member upwardly toward the upper member.

3. In apparatus for packaging, an inclined slideway support, means carried above said slideway for receiving and expanding an envelopetype bag, said last named means comprising an upper member held in fixed position upon said support and a pivotally mounted lower member, both members being open at their ends, and lever means for moving "the lower member downwardly away from the upper member, including the combination of upwardly directed bracket arms carried by the inclined slideway near the upper end thereof and carrying the upper forming member,

said bracket arms embracing the lower forming member and serving as guides in the movement thereof and as stops for the mouth edges of a bag to be received upon said forming member.

4. In apparatus for packaging, an inclined slideway support, means carried above said slideway for receiving and expanding an envelopetype bag, said last named means comprising an upper member held in fixed position upon said support and a. pivotally mounted lower member, both members being open at their ends, lever means for moving the lower member downwardly away from the upper member, and adjustable means for counter-balancing the lower forming member which normally lies in abutment with the upper forming member.

THOMAS B. BUCHANAN. CLIFFORD B. PAPE. 

